HOMES in Sedgemoor is completing a massive programme of council house improvements ahead of schedule - but is taking too long to re-let properties when a tenant leaves.

Those are two of the findings contained in a report which goes before district councillors today.

The social housing landlord is 18 months in to a four-year maintenance programme, aimed at ensuring all 4,200 council homes are up to scratch, using £25million from the Government's Decent Homes scheme.

Work on 871 homes was completed last year, and since April, improvements to a further 711 homes have been made.

The report for today's council executive meeting revealed 94% of tenants were satisfied with work that had been carried out on their homes this year.

However, it is taking Homes in Sedgemoor 39 days on average to re-let properties, far above its 24-day target.

Homes in Sedgemoor said in a report for today's meeting: “This is particularly disappointing as turnaround times in the previous financial year had been significantly reduced to an average of just 26 days.”

Homes in Sedgemoor blamed changes in its lettings team and the need to carry out extensive work on many properties.

It added: “Homes in Sedgemoor have put in place measures to remedy the position and expect performance to improve significantly by year-end.”

A separate report for today's meeting revealed the results of a Sedgemoor District Council budget consultation - which suggested people consider waste collection and community safety the number one and two council priorities.

Grass cutting and housing benefit administration were bottom of the list.

More than 300 of the 1201 people who completed the survey were from the Burnham and Highbridge area.